Manchester United look set to finally complete the signing of Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu, talkSPORT understands.
United have agreed a deal upwards of £29million with the Serie A club.
All that remains is for the two clubs to finalise a payment structure before the 20-year-old flies to Manchester to undergo a medical.
Manchester United have seen two bids for Dorgu rebuffed by the Italians – the second of which was a £27m offer.
It was understood that Lecce were holding out for around £35m for the Denmark international.
Dorgu will become United boss Ruben Amorim’s first signing since taking over at Old Trafford in November.
The Portuguese has endured a difficult first couple of months at the club on the pitch while the January transfer window has proved to be frustrating.
Dorgu is expected to be a perfect fit in Amorim’s new system where he bids to successfully implement the use of wing-backs in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
His arrival will also bring to an end the ongoing issues down United’s left flank due to the long-term unavailability of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
Dorgu broke into youth football with Danish outfit Nordsjaelland before moving to Lecce to feature in the club’s under-19 team in 2022.
After impressing in the youth ranks, Dorgu was promoted to the first team and made his Serie A debut against Lazio in the 2023/24 campaign.
He has continued his climb and nailed down his place in the first team this season having made 23 appearances, scoring three times including the winning goals against both Verona and Venezia.
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Dorgu’s heroics has seen him break into the international fold with Denmark and has already picked up four caps and a goal for good measure.
Amorim will have the opportunity to field his new signing either as at left-back or as a wing-back depending on formation, with Dorgu comfortable playing both positions.
Nordsjaelland technical director Alexander Riget recently revealed that Gorgu relishes the physical battle.
“He gets in the box, arrives for crosses, and that is linked to his physical capacity, which has definitely developed in recent years,” he told Sky Sports.
“But he has always been a good runner. He can cover a lot of distance and do it with high intensity. When he played for Nordsjaelland, we got the reports from the trackers and he was often one of those with the best and the highest physical numbers.”
But it’s not just the physical attributes that has drawn Amorim to the Dane.
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“Dorgu can beat an opponent by bursting towards the byline or even cut inside and fire off a shot when playing from the right. There is a belief that he can handle the next step up,” Riget added.
“With his technical level in small areas, I think it is very difficult to put him under pressure because he is very calm on the ball and very good in tight spaces.
“He is good at dribbling as well. Moving the ball away from the opponent’s feet is a trademark for him.”
Dorgu will be the next high-profile investment in United’s backline after the summer additions of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt for a combined £102m.
Minority shareholders Ineos, are keen to offload the club’s big earners in the hope of regenerating the squad with Antony having secured a loan move to Real Betis while out-of-favour Marcus Rashford could still move in the current window.
